Ellie is in a constant state of dress-up. This was a rare moment without her bear heat. She’s holding “Baby” and modeling her new Sofia dress.

I have been getting back into reading again. I love to do it, but when things get hectic, it’s the first thing to go….Funny, I always have time for The Real Housewives. One of my little tricks is to take photos on my iPhone of books I might like to read, so I’ll remember them later. I’m more than a little stoked there’s a sequel to The Rosie Project. Any titles I should try?

One of my closest friends hosted a little Oscar viewing party. This was just some of the food. It tasted even better than it looked.

Ah, the infamous “baby bear hat” – if you follow me on Instagram (@missalaneyus) or have seen us around, you’ve probably experienced it live. It is on permanent rotation. She wears it to sleep.

This hat makes me happy. It was an impulse buy as most hats are.

We have spent a few nights hanging out with friends who have a daughter’s Ellie age. Now, when we come over, she has a dress ready and waiting for her. Here they are coloring in very fancy clothes.

Donuts. Oh, how I’ve missed you. We got together a few times several weeks ago. It was lovely.

This picture is very blurry, but I had to include it. Some friends hosted their son’s birthday party at the cutest spot. After exploring the gym, the kids got to play with a parachute. Did you ever do that growing up? It was my favorite gym activity, which explains why I never got into sports. Basketball pales in comparison to the parachute.